A Daily Purpose

Bible Study & Devotional Day 148

Contributing Writer: Stephanie Bright

🔴 Look And Wait

Guiding Scripture: Psalm 34:5, “Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed.” Psalm 25:3, “Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame.”

In Psalm 34:5, the Psalmist reminds us that we will shine with the light of His glory as we look to God, and our faces will not be ashamed.

Shame is a grueling issue that many face in today’s society.

We may battle shame in private. We may be shamed by others. We may have even unfortunately been shamed by the church. Shame can overtake us, it can undermine us, and it can ultimately keep us out of God’s will and what He wants for our lives.

We often battle shame because we don’t take time to see God’s perspective on a matter. When we fall short… when we deliberately sin…when we miss the mark…we see all these experiences as reasons why no one should want us, love us, or grace us. We count ourselves out before we ever let God step in and speak truth and love over us.

We dismiss ourselves from the very table where God set a place for us.

Scripture reminds us that if we just take time to look upon the Lord, our faces would never be ashamed. When we encounter God’s presence, we find PEACE and LOVE. We experience all that we have been lacking, including and especially, GRACE.

When we seek God’s face and look to Him, we don’t have to leave with our heads hung low. We don’t have to walk out with our spiritual “tail between our legs.” When we look to God, we encounter holiness in its truest form. In those encounters, a conviction may come, but so will love. God is full of goodness, a virtue that will meet you in your mess. His love will meet you in your mistakes. His presence will meet you in your “miry clay.” Look to Him.

Now to close out this devotional, let’s discuss the topic of waiting.

In Psalm 25:3, it says, “Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame.”

As you read this, you may be waiting for something to blossom in your life. You’ve been holding on to God’s promises and trusting Him daily. After a while, it can get weary. It can become disheartening, breed disappointment, frustration, and exhaustion. These all can make you get to the point where you doubt yourself. You question if God is still working. Eventually, this doubt branches out and grows roots of shame. With this guilt, you begin to believe God isn’t worth your trust. You become ashamed that you “wasted time.”

I come to encourage you that if you wait on the Lord, you will never be put to shame. It is always worth it to remain in the Lord. His ways are higher. His ways are better. His path is sure and steadfast. He knows best and will bring that to pass.

We serve an Ephesians 3:20 type of God, so we know that He will do exceedingly, abundantly above all we ask, think, or imagine.

Look to the Lord. Let His presence and glory shine upon you. Wait on the Lord. Trust in Him. In both looking onto Him and waiting on Him, shame has no place.

~Stephanie Bright

Stephanie Bright CEO of Christian Girls P.O.P

This devotional was written by Stephanie Bright a loving contributor to Our Given Purpose®. Edited by Torrie Slaughter in the Commonwealth of Virginia.